1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to frothing pitchers for espresso machines. More specifically, the invention relates to thermometer and frothing pitcher combinations for espresso machines.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, the popularity of Italian-style coffee beverages has increased dramatically. Initially, such beverages were primarily available at coffee shops specializing in beverages of this type, including espresso drinks, cappuccino drinks, and cafxc3xa9 con latte drinks, using professional espresso machines. Machines of this type inject steam under high pressure through very finely ground coffee, thereby rapidly creating a concentrated coffee beverages which can be drunk alone (i.e., espesso), or mixed with hot water (cafxc3xa9 americano) or steamed milk (cafxc3xa9 con latte). In order to provide steamed milk or substitute dairy products, commercial espresso machines have one or more steaming wands which direct high pressure steam from the machine""s water boiler into a frothing pitcher. A frothing pitcher is partially filled with milk or other dairy product and a barista, or other trained espresso machine operator, manipulates the frothing pitcher beneath the steaming wand to create a pitcher of frothed milk. Temperature control of the steamed milk or other dairy product is important in preparing an appropriate beverage.
A conventional prior art frothing pitcher is generally indicated at reference numeral 14 in FIG. 2 of the various figures. The frothing pitcher has a main body 15 which is typically a stainless steel cylindrical vessel having a closed bottom and an open top. A thermally insulating handle 16 is typically connected to the main body 15 at an upper portion thereof adjacent to a perimeter of the open top. In order to assure that the temperature of the milk or other dairy product within the frothing pitcher remains within a prescribed temperature range, a dial-type thermometer 17 having an elongated shaft 20 terminating in a tip 22 at a distal end thereof is provided. The shaft 20 and tip 22 must be maintained in a spaced-apart relationship from the side wall and bottom, respectively, of the frothing pitcher 14 in order to provide an accurate temperature measurement. To maintain the requisite positioning, a spring clip 18 defining a pair of apertures 19 is typically provided. The spring clip 18 is conventionally manufactured from stainless steel sheet material and then formed into the clip configuration shown in FIG. 4 along with the apertures 19. As best seen in FIG. 3, the shaft 20 of the dial thermometer 17 is received in the apertures 19. The apertures 19 are slightly offset with respect to one another so that the shaft 20 is received in a friction fit with the spring clip 18. The spring clip is then received around an upper perimeter edge of the frothing pitcher 14 as shown in FIG. 2. An experienced barista can appropriately adjust the axial position of the shaft 20 within the apertures 19 so that the thermometer 17 is only measuring the temperature of the dairy product within the pitcher and not the temperature of the bottom of the pitcher itself.
In recent years, home-style espresso machines have been made available such that customers of Italian style cafxc3xa9s may produce Italian-style coffee beverages at home. Unfortunately, individuals who are not trained as baristas often do not have the necessary skills to properly use the frothing pitcher 14, clip 18 and thermometer 17 apparatus shown in FIGS. 2 through 4 and as described above. Frequently, an inexperienced user will adjust the shaft 20 of the thermometer 17 such that the tip 22 touches the bottom of the frothing pitcher 14, thereby providing an incorrect temperature reading. Furthermore, the stainless steel clip 18 can disadvantageously slip, move, scratch the pitcher, and get lost.
Therefore, a need exists for a frothing pitcher/thermometer combination which can easily and correctly be used by an untrained home espresso machine operator.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a frothing pitcher having means for receiving a thermometer so as to correctly position the thermometer with respect to the base and side walls of the pitcher.
It is a further object of the invention to achieve the above object with a frothing pitcher/dial thermometer combination which does not have an excessive number of parts.
The invention achieves these objects, and other objects and advantages which will become apparent from the description which follows, by providing a thermometer-holding frothing pitcher having a main body, having a circumferential side wall connected to a closed bottom which also defines an open top. The main body further has a handle connected to the main body having a cantilevered portion extending inwardly beyond the side wall of the main body into the area of the open top. The cantilevered portion further defines a bore for receiving a shaft portion of a thermometer in a spaced apart relationship from the side wall and the bottom of the main body.
In the preferred embodiment, the frothing pitcher is substantially cylindrical and the thermometer is of the dial type. The thermometer is preferably provided with a stem portion adjacent to the dial having a shaped end which closely resides in a chamfered receptacle at the top of the bore in the cantilevered portion. The thermometer shaft itself has a preselected length such that when the dial thermometer has its stem portion received in the chamfered portion, the distal end of the thermometer shaft is spaced away from the bottom of the frothing pitcher and the shaft itself is spaced away from the side wall of the frothing pitcher.
In an alternate embodiment of the invention, the bore is at an acute angle with respect to the side wall of the frothing pitcher (approximately 10 degrees) to maintain the appropriate spacing relationships described above.